Trainer Pellegrino Matarazzo fell into the arms of sporting director Sven Mislintat, the fans cheered as if staying in the Bundesliga was already perfect. Thanks to high morale and the strong returnee Saša Kalajdžić, VfB Stuttgart celebrated what may still be an enormously important victory in the fight against relegation. After a 0:2 draw, the Swabians still managed to draw 3:2 (1:2) against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday evening.
VfB captain Wataru Endo (38th minute), Chris Führich (51st) and Kalajdžić (83rd), who was back in the starting XI, scored for the hosts in front of 25,000 spectators after Alassane Pléa (14th) and Marcus Thuram (35th). ) which Gladbach seemed to have put in the lead.
In the table, VfB moved up to one point behind Hertha BSC in the relegation rank of relegation. Coach Pellegrino Matarazzo’s team found new hope. Coach Adi Hütter’s Gladbachers, on the other hand, failed to distance themselves further from the relegation zone.
“We want to give everything so that we can play in the Bundesliga again next season,” said VfB professional Borna Sosa to the supporters in the stadium after the last nine games without a win. Accordingly, VfB started lively on the offensive. Sosa himself moved from five meters after a pass from Hiroki Ito (10th). Tiago Tomás was annoyed that he couldn’t get past the parrying Gladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer. Plea then showed how it could be done better: After a one-two with Florian Neuhaus, he quickly pulled away. Goalkeeper Florian Müller was on the ball, but couldn’t prevent the deficit.
It’s about “leaving everything we have physically, mentally, here on the pitch and trying to win the game,” Matarazzo said in a Sky interview before the game. His offensive hope is Kalajdžić. After his calf problems, in Hoffenheim he had only been substituted on, the Austrian started from the start this time. But the 24-year-old also missed a good chance with a header (24′).
On the other side, the guests showed the efficiency that VfB lacked in the next fine attack: Thuram, who was lurking behind Sosa, executed Pléa’s pass into the six-yard box.
However, the Swabians were not shocked by the 0:2 and at least tried successfully before the break. Endo came back after a failed attempt by Rami Bensebaini to clear the ball. After the change of sides, the Stuttgarters quickly nurtured the hopes of the fans: Führich only had to dust off Kalajdžić’s cross with a header. The offensive player had recovered in time after his knee injury.
The table penultimate was then the better team, but did not reward themselves: Tiago Tomás failed free-standing to Sommer (67th). Little came from the Gladbachers until Neuhaus tested VfB keeper Müller (71st). Omar Marmoush failed with a header for VfB (79′), then Kalajdžić caused thunderous celebrations in the Stuttgart stadium with his first second goal of the season. Sommer was fully served. “We deserved to lose. In the second half, Stuttgart was better than us in every respect. Why? This question needs to be answered. There are many things to correct. They showed us a bit,” said the Swiss on Sky.
